I think it was the Ancient Romans that said, "The ideal citizen is of sound mind and sound body.” Back then of course, the proclamation didn’t seem as profound as it does in today’s day and age. It makes you wonder just how much insight the ancient civilizations had into the overall health and well being of the human body given their rudimentary practices and lack of medical technology that would give an accurate diagnosis of bodily malfunctions, injuries, conditions, hereditary circumstances and the like. Fast forward to present day to an increasing number of lose-weight-fast diets, which, in many cases, can prove to be counterproductive if not administered properly, a rise in the number of fitness spas and the expanding waist line. One would think that with an increasing number of exercise outlets available to the general public that our overall health would not be in such grave shape. But in a lot of instances that’s exactly what is happening.

The expanding waistline epidemic is in some instances comparable to the Bubonic Plague. If you consider a study conducted by the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NNHANES), between 2001 and 2004, the numbers are staggering. The study shows that of adults age 20 and over about two-thirds of that population or 133.6 million men and women are overweight or obese. That’s not a good number if you consider the exponential rise in the number of exercise facilities over the past few years. Not to mention that obesity paves the way for illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure to name a few.

Many or all of these diseases can be controlled, if not eliminated, by paying close attention to your quality of life. Sure, we can all live well into our nineties. But would you want to do so if you had to take 10 to 20 pills a day due to some thing as easy as watching what you eat and maintaining a regular exercise routine? Very simple steps that in the long run will benefit you exponentially! Simple repeatable steps can literally add years to your life.

Consider some interesting statistics from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that speak to the benefits of regular exercise and a few pitfalls in inactivity:

Significant health benefits can be obtained by including a moderate amount of physical activity (e.g., 30 minutes of brisk walking or raking leaves, 15 minutes of running, 45 minutes of playing volleyball).. Additional health benefits can be gained through greater amounts of physical ctivity.

Thirty to sixty minutes of activity broken into smaller segments of 10 or 15 minutes throughout the day has significant health benefits.

Moderate daily physical activity can reduce substantially the risk of developing or dying from cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers, such as colon cancer. Daily physical activity helps to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, helps prevent or retard osteoporosis, and helps reduce obesity, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and symptoms of arthritis.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among men and women in the United States. Physically inactive people are twice as likely to develop coronary heart disease as regularly active people.

Physical activity among children and adolescents is important because of the related health benefits (cardio- respiratory function, blood pressure control, weight management, cognitive and emotional benefits).

Adults 18 and older need 30 minutes of physical activity on five or more days a week to be healthy; children and teens need 60 minutes of activity a day for their health.

The major barriers most people face when trying to increase physical activity are time, access to convenient facilities, and safe environments in which to be active.

The percentage of adults in the United States who were overweight or obese (body mass index greater than or equal to 25) in 1999-22002 was 65 percent. Overweight and obesity cuts across all ages, racial and ethnic groups, and both genders. A new study in the Netherlands found that excess weight cuts years off our life.

Forty-one million Americans are estimated to have pre-diabetes. Most people with pre-diabetes develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years, unless they make changes to their diet and physical activity that results in a loss of about 5-7 percent of their body weight.

Young people are at particular risk for becoming sedentary, as they grow older. Encouraging moderate and vigorous physical activity among youth is important. Because children spend most of their time in school, the type and amount of physical activity encouraged in schools is important.

This comprehensive list of do ’s and don’ts concerning activity or lack thereof serves as a guideline to increase awareness along with some insight on how to go about improving and changing your approach to daily activity and just how the small things that you incorporate into your daily regimen can yield impressive long term results that will carry you well into your golden years and beyond. In addition to regular exercise, nutrition is the other piece in the equation to longevity and an exceptional quality of life.

Provided that one adheres to the guidelines put forth by national agencies concerning health and physical fitness, when we reach those golden years there are communities available that provide the life we have always dreamed of. One of those communities is Carolina Preserve at Amberly located in Cary, North Carolina. Carolina Preserve at Amberly is part of a network of active adult communities in sixteen states around the country that cater to the active adult.

Somewhat of an active adult playground, the Del Webb Communities are spread around the country and offer a safe neighborly environment in which to thoroughly enjoy your retirement years. The communities remind you of a city within a city where neighbors use golf carts as their primary mode of transportation in the neighborhood allowing for a very close knit social atmosphere. Neighbors live in very nice ranch style homes of Pulte homes construction.

The pride of the community is the activities of the neighbors, which in some instances are the envy of non-residents. Communities boast of personal trainers, walking and hiking trails, indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts, chipping and putting green, Bocce courts, and tennis courts to give you an idea of the breadth of activities available to residents.

For additional information about Del Webb Communities, visit: www.suncity.com.